Hong Kong's Edison Chen quits after sex scandal

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong singer and actor Edison
Chen said on Thursday he would step away from the Hong Kong
entertainment industry to "heal himself," in his first public
appearance since a sex scandal broke.

Hong Kong police said some 1,300 private shots of Chen in
bed with at least half a dozen female celebrities had been
copied by the staff of a computer repair shop from a faulty
laptop believed to belong to Chen, sparking off a media frenzy.

The Canadian-born Chen, a hip hop artist and Asian film
star who has appeared in films such as Infernal Affairs, the
Hong Kong triad film which inspired Martin Scorsese's
Oscar-winning film "The Departed," admitted for the first time
that most of the pictures circulating on the Internet had been
taken by him.

"These photos were very private and have not been shown to
people and were never intended to be shown to anyone," the
27-year-old said in a calm voice amid a flood of camera flashes
from the hundreds of reporters gathered.

"I have failed as a role model. However I wish that this
matter will teach everyone a lesson."

He said in a brief statement he would fulfill existing
commitments before stepping down "indefinitely." He added that
he would dedicate himself to charity and community work.

"I've decided to do this to give myself an opportunity to
heal myself and to search my soul."

Hong Kong police have so far made 10 arrests in connection
with the scandal.